Best You Ever Saw (Playing Support)

20 Apr 2010264
Lenny Kravitz, Interpol, Snow Patrol, Kasabian, Razorlight, The Fray, One Republic: depending on where you're seeing U2 this year, you'll also get to see one of the above. Last year you might have caught Kaiser Chiefs, Glasvegas, The Hours, Elbow or Muse.

And over the years some pretty fine bands have rocked the house just a few minutes before the main attraction took the stage - sometimes long before they became household names themselves.

(In fact we got so overcome at the memory of the great acts who've played with U2 that we pulled together this little gallery.)

Anyone see The Kings of Leon or The Killers on the Vertigo Tour ? Or Garbage or Stereophonics on the Elevation Tour? Public Enemy or Stereo MC's on ZOO TV ? BB King on Lovetown ? How about The Pretenders or Los Lobos or Lou Reed on The Joshua Tree Tour in the 1980's? Or Lone Justice when the band were touring The Unforgettable Fire. And, come to think of it, what about The Pixies, PJ Harvey, Patti Smith...



Was there an act you first discovered when they came out on stage before U2? Who was the best act you ever saw with them... and why? (Don't forget to include the tour or year of the show.)
Comments
264
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cgil
Montréal Vertigo tour
ArcadeFire Montréal November 2005
evanescenthaze
BEP
Black eyed peas at the rose bowl in october of 2009 was pretty great. Fergie and slash were INSANE! i never thought that she could pull off Sweet Child o mine! NEVER! they were also pretty cool with the pre-show light wave. i got some great pics of that.
rob69
RAGE
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. SUN DEVIL STADIUM TEMPE AZ,AND L.A. COLLISIUM BOTH FOR POP TOUR.
JellyMonkey
Houston & Austin, TX
Big Audio Dynamite at ZooTV in Houston. The Pixies in Austin. Was that for Joshua Tree Tour? Loved 'em all.
celticfc09
Vertigo Tour
Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, Killers
noelmcfly
From 1993
Must be the Stereo MCs from 1993 at RDS 2nd night. First support was the Golden Horde (I think) and they were awful - really antagonized the crowd but got the atmosphere going!!!
karl20
karl garwood
i remember seeing THE POGUES and SPEAR OF DESTINY at wembley 87 and THE PRETENDERS and THE ALARM at cardiff 87 also thought ASH were great at twickers in 2005
Amraaa
Snow Patrol
..in Zagreb, and in Istanbul this year too yaaay :)
BOYNAMEDJOSHUA
Joshua Tree/Vancouver Nov. 1987
Los Lobos & The BoDeanss.. after the show, Los Lobos performed at Richards on Richards near the stadium!! Was an Amazing show, the day after the Inniskillen bombings in Ireland, the band was emotional and played their hearts out.
VoxAC30
VoxAC30
Although I've seen many support acts with U2 over the last 25 years it has to be Elbow at Sheffield on the 360 tour. Beautiful music...
nat 2A
dublin and paris
kaiser chiefs in Paris and Dublin!
adamman32
Muse
Muse was the best support act for U2 ive seen in the fall of 2009. They put on a great show that you would have thought it was their show. They sounded great and played with passion.
ramblin rose
Hawaii
Pearl Jam!!
ABLE10s
Best Opening Band
I'd have to say that Keane was, without a doubt, my favorite opener for U2. I saw them in Boston in October 2005 for the Vertigo tour. They became one of my favorite bands after I looked them up when I found out they were going to be opening for U2. This was the first time seeing U2 so this concert was even more memorable besides being able to see my two favorite bands at the same concert! Snow Patrol at Gillette Stadium for the 360 tour in September 2009 was also a great opening act!
agera
Killers and Chili Peppers
The Killers in Cardiff during The Vertigo Tour and The Red Hot Chili Peppers who absolutely rocked Slane Castle in 2001.
dwstack
Wembley Stadium - June 1987
The Pogues and Lou Reed opened for U2 that night. Amazing show !
Michael Hales
It Was Way Back in '87 ...
It has to be The Alarm at Cardiff during the Joshua Tree tour. The Fatima Mansions at Earls Court in 1992 were pretty good too - although being in the front row I avoided eye contact.
kissamis
Joshua Tree Tour
Seeing The Bodeans back in '87 in Chicago was pretty cool. They seemed like a perfect band to open for U2 at the time.
yutero2009
Hawaii
Definetly Pearl Jam in Hawaii...!
Steve A
Waterboys.....
Manchester Apollo 1983 and Snow Patrol Chicago 2009! I still remember 'Red Army Blues' by the Waterboys from over 25 years ago - Brilliant. Can't remember what I did yesterday though these days!
kg0812
Boston, October 4, 2005
Keane was phenomenal!
jposc
Pixies
ZooTV with the greatest american band ever. U2 + the Pixies best concert I have ever seen.
beebop61
Patti Smith
Patti Smith @ Madison Square Garden (NYC) November 21, 2005. Tom Verlaine on guitar. We were in the Ellipse and they were awesome! Combined with an incredible set by U2, it was the best show I've ever seen....an unforgettable night!
Marcel76
Viva la Party
I think, that the best support were the "Stereo MC's" in 1993 Frankfurt. So much fun to see them make party, and having so much fun with this party people!!!
lauralj25
KOL and BEP
Kings of Leon for Vertigo in Los Angeles and Black Eyed Peas at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena
gjennings
Bodean/Pretenders Joshua Tree
Oakland "Day on the Green". Hands down, the best, what a day!
jonnyartist
Ahhh, the memories.
Almost the whole supporting bill at Milton Keynes Bowl '85. Faith Brothers for openers, then as i remember an incendiary set from Spear Of Destiny, then passion and one liners from Billy Bragg("I'd like to thank the man who invented the plastic bottle, i think he just saved my life!"), then i think was The Ramones("Wuntwothreefour!") & finally a somewhat rain- soaked REM, yes REM!,..before they became household names. Of course it pissed down all day, but i was 17 and having the time of my life.
brianscully
Slane 2001 - First Concert
Coldplay followed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, followed by the main event....
jasb92
Vertigo Tour Mexico
The first time i saw U2 live!!, The Secret Machines opened for them it was february 16th Estadio Azteca, was really awesome they came out saying "hola Mexico, somos los maquinas secretas!!!"
u2akira
SNOW PATROL
SNOW PATROL AMSTERDAM 20 & 21 JULY 2010
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